Business

Transportation

Roads & Highways

Willmar and Kandiyohi County provide a comprehensive transportation network to keep all of your goods and services moving. The transportation infrastructure includes a medley of highway connections providing north/south connections via US Highway 71 and MN Highway 23 and east/west on US Highway 12 and MN Highway 7.

Railroad

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway system plays a critical role in our success as a regional business hub.  BNSF has a major switching yard in Willmar featuring both an east/west and north/south connection on Minnesota’s busiest railway. A $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation was used in a $48.83 million collaborative public-private project to construct approximately 10,000 feet of track between two BNSF main lines and bypass train traffic west of Willmar.  Included in the project was a spur to Willmar’s Industrial Park.

As a regional trade center for West Central Minnesota, one of the key elements in the city’s plans was enhanced freight connectivity for industrial development. The $48 million Willmar Wye rail project provided access, the opportunity to expand businesses, and create jobs. With this rail spur, the Willmar Industrial Park is served by all three major freight modes—air, rail and trucking.

The Willmar Industrial Park to the west of the Renaissance/Opportunity Zones (RZ/OZ) are anchored by the BNSF Class I Railroad. The new FedEx Distribution Center is a regional draw for trucking transportation. Highway 71 goes through the Willmar RZ/OZ and connects with two major highways, US Highway 12 and MN Highway 23.

Air Travel

If air travel and cargo are important to your company, you’ll appreciate the quality of the facilities at the Willmar Municipal Airport, with an all-weather 5,500-foot runway that safely accommodates all business jets and most cargo planes. In the spring of 2022 the City of Willmar approved the construction of a new hangar that will accommodate the largest corporate jets currently on the market at the Municipal Airport. It sufficiently accommodates business jets and cargo planes with the paved 5,500-foot runway. Airport travelers have access to a full-service, fixed-base operator without the congestion of a metro airport.

Public Transportation

Kandiyohi County’s local transit services and public transportation systems are integral parts of the community’s transportation system, transporting significant numbers of people and offering mobility to individuals without other personal transportation options.

Central Community Transit (CCT), provides a number of transportation services to the region’s residents, including public transportation for a fee.

Jefferson Bus Lines has daily scheduled service from Willmar to Sioux Falls and the Twin Cities. Willmar’s stop location is at the Lakeview Inn. Tickets are available online, in person at the Lakeview Inn or by calling 800.451.5333.

Kandiyohi County also has private charter bus companies, including R & J Tours and Southwest Tours and Willmar Bus Service.

Rentals, Shuttles & Taxi Service
Rental vehicles are available in Kandiyohi County through Atwater Ford and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
Several private companies offer taxi and limousine service, including Care Cab Transportation, Night Life Limousine, Let’s Ride and Willmar Taxi.
Executive Express is a St. Cloud-based airport shuttle service with daily pick-up service in Willmar to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

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